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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · degree · straw · shower · mark · bowl · chair · dip

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. degree — temperature
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mark — a grade
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bank — for money
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com